


Visiting

by Makou133



Series: Go With the Flow [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Blank Period, Blood and Gore, Canon Related, Canonical Character Death, Childhood Memories, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description of Corpses, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Other, POV Third Person Limited, Post-Canon, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 18:42:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8907688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makou133/pseuds/Makou133
Summary: Orochimaru could hardly remember the last time he had visited the cemetery. It was amazing that it had been undisturbed during Pein's attack. It was a bittersweet moment for their growing bond to each other. He was happy to share it with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a timestamp for my original story A Fresh New Breeze. There are many and they are in no particular order.

In Konoha, it had just began to turn to fall, summer’s last breaths fading. It was sunny, but a breeze gently carried the cool weather of a storm that was approaching. Often desert thunderstorms would roll over into the Fire country from Suna. Orochimaru had just finished the plans for his project he would soon be undertaking; he had made a list to the specifics he would need to meet the requirements set by Tsunade. Makou could not know. That would mean at the least, adding a secret room to the labs. At the most, it could mean a whole wing. The Sannin liked to err on the well prepared side, and had decided a new wing would be best, and should be fairly easy to construct. He walked into the common area of the home he shared with Makou, Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo. 

As he entered the room, he could see Makou sitting on a cushion by the table, her arms were wrapped with tape. Her hair was tied back, and her skin was slick with sweat. She had more than likely just gotten home from training. Her green eyes were narrowed, her bushy brows drawn in concentration. Though what she could be so focused on, Orochimaru wasn’t sure of. Her green eyes broke their staring contest with the table when he spoke. “Did you just get home?” He leaned against the sliding doors. 

“Yea.” she said it slowly, like she was still lost in thought. She nodded her head a few times as if she were considering an idea, before jumping up to her feet and turning to him. “I want to show you something, I remembered a spot I used to visit when I was younger while I was running laps around the village with Lee.” Orochimaru tilted his head. It had been almost a year since the war, but despite having known Makou far longer, his knowledge of her past in Konoha was something he was only now learning of. It wasn’t of concern before when she was his subordinate, but now, their relationship was much deeper and held meaning to him. Makou was someone precious to him.

“Oh? Why so vague?” His tone was playful. 

“It’s going to be a surprise.” She said it softly, the look of thought once more clouding her eyes. He raised a slender brow. He wondered why she seemed hesitant. 

\------

They had made their way to the outermost edge of the village, walking through the forest. It was just turning to dusk, and clouds of the coming storm could be seen gathering on the horizon. Makou walked ahead of Orochimaru, silent. She hadn’t talked much during their walk, which had concerned him. He wondered where exactly they were going. Since the village had been destroyed by Pein, not many places remained where they were familiar to him. 

Orochimaru surveyed their surroundings, aware they were in the Southwest area of the village. He could see the forest thin ahead of them, a worn dirt road along the edge of a high wooden fence. Further down he could see the great red beams of a gateway rising above the trees. They were approaching the cemetery. 

The pair turned the corner around the edge of the fence, walking up the stone steps. He could see the flame monument looking over the rest of the many graves. For a moment he was surprised the graves were still there, but then he recalled Kabuto’s memories. He had been here to dig up Sarutobi-sensei, as well as the First, Second, and Dan. Fresh flowers rested in the vases next to each headstone. The academy children must have completed their maintenance of the grounds today. 

Orochimaru continued to follow as Makou wordlessly made her way through the cemetery, turning deliberately down an aisle. As she turned, a feeling began to creep up on him. The realization of what she had wanted to show him, and why she had seemed hesitant, dawned upon the Sannin. He smiled softly, coming to a stop behind her. She bowed, then kneeled in front of two headstones, he could see the names of his parents engraved into the stone. She held her hands clasped for a moment, as did he. It had been a very, very long time since he had visited his parents. 

The last time he had been to their gravesite had been before his departure from the village. He had briefly visited his mother and father, as well as Dan and Nawaki. Their deaths had made it painfully clear to him the fragility of human life. Even now, his desire to overcome death burned inside him, his resolution had originally been to protect those he loved from death. Overtime, it had been corrupted by a need for power. Soon it had consumed him, it was what every waking moment in his life had been spent on, up until Itachi had slain him with the Totsuka blade.

Orochimaru could see between the two head stones was a small plant. It looked like it had been trimmed a few times, but had managed to grow back. He watched as Makou waved her hand above the plant, its leaves bending up towards her palm; the stems unraveled and leaves unfurled as it grew, before delicate white blooms erupted across its surface. He wasn’t too sure of the type, but he knew that it was not indigenous to Konoha and hadn’t sprouted of its own means. He looked to Makou, who now was staring at the two graves, she spoke softly. 

“We used to clean the graves in the academy, and I would remember my parents and my home in Kiri. They had never gotten a grave, the Mist wasn’t exactly as nice a place then as the Leaf.” She didn’t sound sad, more like she was trying to explain herself, almost as if she were embarrassed. Admittedly, Orochimaru thought to himself, he was interested in how she came to know their graves. She continued, still gently “Sometimes, other kids would pay respects to their families, others would avoid having to clean around them at all, like Sasuke.” She shifted her weight to the other side, becoming fidgety the more she spoke.

“Well, one day, I was raiding the archives as I usually did, looking for whatever i could find that had your name on it. I came across your academy papers.” Makou’s jade eyes turned towards him, peering through her bangs. 

Orochimaru nodded, “You saw my parents listed on them. They had still been alive when I had initially been enrolled. That was quite some time ago, you must have done a lot of digging to find that information.” Honestly, it was information that one would probably not be too concerned with, and yet she had combed through file after file, hoping to find something about him. Most would have called her obsessed, but he didn’t mind her adoration of him.

“So?” Orochimaru motioned for her to continue. 

“It was funny really,” She giggled, “I hadn’t ever put much thought into how you came to be in the world. Obviously you were human, so of course you had to have parents. I guess I always had idolized you so much that I forgot.” She rubbed the back of her head.

He grinned, revealing his fangs, “For a time I wasn’t.” He was still somewhat proud of that accomplishment, one of his most elaborate experiments had been himself. Even now though, he wasn’t completely human- he had transferred himself into a Zetsu, a creation. Though he didn't believe she was aware of how literally he had meant it.

She looked back to the graves. “I was shocked when I learned their names, I had cleaned this area few times. I remember passing over her grave and thinking of how pretty a name she had. I had never considered who she was.” Makou let out a shaky breath. “I began visiting them even when the academy wasn’t doing maintenence. I don’t know why. I guess it made me feel closer to you, like somehow maybe you would know? Its sounds kind of naive and silly now.” She shook her head as she stood up, the flowers following her as she walked towards him. He could feel the warmth of her hands as she laced her fingers between his. 

Orochimaru wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t even met him, and yet she had been so devoted to him. He was touched by her actions, but guilt permeated his chest. He had known of her love for him, but had never known to what extent. Kabuto had reported to him during the last few years of her time in the academy to him, as he had with Sasuke as well. Orochimaru had wanted her for her mokuton, but when Kabuto had mentioned she had been smitten by the serpent already, he had been eager to exploit it. When he had began to craft a special mark just for her, he had never truly understood what he was taking advantage of. The abuse she had suffered -the emotional trauma he had put her through. All because he knew he could. She was the perfect pawn, and, at the time, he didn’t care if she hurt, or if he broke her. All he saw was the easiest prey he could ever consume. 

What he saw now was different. She was someone that loved him unconditionally, that despite what he had done to her, was still by his side now. She would have been here whether or not he had a change of heart. He grasped her hands firmly in his own. “I’m sorry, Makou.” He could have described all the ways in which he was sorry, but when it came to these things, he found his usual ease with speaking could falter. Instead he stood silent, letting the words hang.

Makou pressed her forehead against his. Even if he couldn't specify, he knew she understood his meaning. The sun had finally fell beneath the horizon, as the cemetery grew dark. They stood there a moment longer. His words finally found him once more as he remembered visiting here once with sensei. “Makou,” She looked up at him. “I don’t believe I’ve told you much about myself, have I?” her bangs fell across her face as she cocked her head to the side. He could tell from her expression she was trying to figure out what he was going to say before he said it. Her bushy brows were somewhat furrowed. 

She must’ve given up, because she replied “No I suppose not. But part of that’s because I already know quite a bit.” She grinned, her look of concentration melting into a look of mischief. He raised a slender brow, noting her audacity.

“You do indeed know more than most, but only what’s been recorded- dates and events. I haven’t really shared any of my own memories with you.” His smile widened as a look of wonder crossed her features. He continued, as he folded an arm across his chest, placing my the other under his chin. 

“Sarutobi-sensei would bring me here quite a bit as a child, especially during the first year following their loss.” Hiruzen had acted very much like a father to him following the death of his own. He had made sure that Orochimaru kept after himself in the wake of the war, bringing him food other than the eggs he would gather in the mornings from the hens his parents had kept. Sensei had also insisted that he visit his parents regularly, and that it was ok to grieve. Even as a child, Orochimaru had been quiet and reserved. “One of those times, as I had laid down flowers for them, I had found a small, white snake. It was coiled up near Father’s headstone.”

He remembered the day vividly. He had been perhaps 8, it was a sunny summer afternoon, Sarutobi-sensei had just treated him to lunch. When he saw the little snake, Orochimaru had no hesitation in scooping it up in his hands. It hadn’t seemed frightened of him, then again, most snakes seemed drawn to his presence. He had stared into its slit pupils, noting the marks around its eyes mirrored his own. It’s alabaster scales had almost blended in with his pale skin. 

Orochimaru continued as Makou’s eyes urged him on. “Sarutobi-sensei had told me of what such a rare white snake symbolized, and that perhaps my parents had been trying to send me a message from the afterlife.” When he had been young it had seemed like a pleasant story to tell a young, lonely boy. But the symbol of rebirth and renewal had stuck with him; far longer than Hiruzen could have ever imagined it would. “I took the little snake home with me, and kept her for a long time, though by the time she died, I had already been corrupted. I still have her, preserved in a jar.” 

Makou murmured softly, “The one you would keep next to your hand from your original body.” He nodded, knowing that she probably would have put the two together. 

“I kept her as inspiration, a constant reminder that life ends, but it can be reborn.” Makou stared back at the headstones. 

“The great white serpent form you had was drawn from that inspiration, right?” Orochimaru tilted his head. He was somewhat surprised to hear her mention it. 

“Yes, it was, but how do you know of it?” He was fairly certain she had never seen his true form, nor had he ever told her about it. Despite that, she seemed to be familiar with it. The moon was rising now, as once again shadows were cast by the headstones. 

“When I thought Sasuke had killed you, I had been arriving from the last mission you had sent me on.” She grabbed her chest, where her curse mark had been. “I knew something was wrong, I could feel it the core of my being. I had rushed back as quickly as possible to the base. I made it there in 20 minutes, exhausted. I could see Kabuto at the doorway as I approached your room. I had known you were sick and needed to transfer bodies soon but…” Orochimaru looked into her eyes, they seemed far off, as if she were reliving the moment. 

“I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Kabuto tried to stop me from going in, he had said the room was full of poison, but I had been building immunity since childhood to most poisons. And then I saw you.” She began pulling the edges of her gloves, her voice somewhat cracking. 

“There was so much blood, at first I wasn’t sure what it was, I saw the body of a snake made up of dozens more, and many smaller carcasses strewn about. But then I saw the head, and had I never seen the reports Kakashi had made about prototype experiments, I probably would have never made the connection.” She bit her lip. He had never thought she had seen him that way, and was somewhat surprised she still could look at him and feel attraction. Very few would.

“I stayed there, petting your hair for hours, as the poison in your blood burned my lungs, mixed with the sting of tears and sobs. Even as the remaining blood began to pool and your body stiffened. Eventually Kabuto managed to pull me away, I couldn’t fight back. Had he let me stay there, I probably would have died myself.” She let her head drop as she finished her recounting of his defeat by Sasuke. He could gather that at this point, Kabuto had not injected his flesh into him, otherwise it would have been a memory he had gotten from him. He vaguely remembered she had been sent on a mission, though for what he couldn’t recall. He had no idea she had bared witness to any of it, but he realized now why she had been so emotionally traumatized in Kabuto’s memories of her. 

“I almost let myself believe you were gone. But once I gained some control of myself, I could still feel your chakra resonating, though weakly, within my curse mark. I had devised a plan. Studied for months. When again, just as I was so close, you were slayed before my eyes.” She had been there too? He did remember emerging from Sasuke’s mark. He had been biding his time and gathering strength. During those months, Sasuke had never come in contact with Makou, but she had been lingering the whole time.

“It took more months of studying to try and create a new plan. Each path led to the same dead end. I would need to possess the Sharingan. And with Sasuke being the only living Uchiha, I would need him. That’s what Tobi had promised me in the war, if I assisted him and Kabuto, he would give me Sasuke. So, foolishly, I accepted.”

Orochimaru interceded, having memory of her actions from here, and not wishing for her to fall into a pit that would be difficult to pull herself from “You did what you thought best Makou. Speaking from experience, I know the guilt you bear. Your actions were out of selfless love, however, not selfish desire. The former is far more noble than the latter. It is why you walk the village mostly free, while I have a watch kept on me the moment I step out of our home.” Makou pressed her lips together. He decided he would shift her attention from the weight in her chest to something more pleasant. 

“I suppose we should get home. I know you and I are quite fine being out in the cemetery at night, but I figure we should be easy on our keepers. They may not be as comfortable.” Makou looked around, the snake followed her gaze as she looked at Tenzo, who stood at the entrance, leaning against the red beams. “Plus, I’ll let you attempt to braid my hair.” he snickered. She was terrible at braiding. He had come to learn her wild hair was out of her lack of knowing what to do with it. 

“You’re not very nice, but yea I guess you got a point. Honestly, Tenzo is pretty creepy on his own though.” Makou chuckled. “In the right light he could probably scare a ghost himself.”

“Is that so?” They made their way out of the cemetery, the rumble of thunder in the distance.


End file.
